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Posted on Sun, Sep 8, 2013 : 5:40 a.m.

Language is important to Canadian singer-songwriter Old Man Luedecke

By Roger LeLievre

Canada's Old Man Luedecke, who is actually a pretty youthful guy, brings his literate, banjo-driven songs to The Ark on Tuesday.

Old Man Luedecke

Courtesy

Clearly, he has a penchant for literature. The singer-songwriter’s latest album, “Tender Is The Night,” gives nod to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, a title lifted from John Keats’ poem “Ode To A Nightingale.”

“I am a prisoner for my appreciation for language; language that moves me is language that is unusual,” he says. “I feel like it’s an important thing I can contribute to songwriting.

“(My) songs are about a variety of topics, a meditation on art and ambition is present in a lot of what I do. Art and whether there is spiritual success without worldly success, that’s at the heart of ‘Tender Is The Night,’” Luedecke adds.

He says the origin of his stage name is fairly ordinary.

“I put the name on my first gig poster and it stuck,” he explains. “In a way, the name gives me the space to be the performer I need to.”

Old Man Luedecke plays at The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. Details at www.theark.org or 734-761-1800.